This Web site contains the online versions of 80 books previously published in hard copy by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress as part of the Country Studies/Area Handbook Series. This effort was sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army from 1986 to 1998, but Army funding ended in the late 1990s, and the program lapsed. It was temporarily revived in 2004 with congressionally mandated funding under the sponsorship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J–5). The new funding covered updated editions of five Country Studies as well as a number of shorter Country Profiles (also available on this Web site). The Country Studies Program has now ended.

The Country Studies Series was originally intended to focus primarily on lesser-known areas of the world or regions in which U.S. forces might be deployed and thus is not all-inclusive. Most books deal with a single foreign country, but a few cover several countries or a geographic region. The series also includes several books on countries that no longer exist in their original configuration—such as Czechoslovakia, East Germany, the Soviet Union, Sudan, and Yugoslavia. These books remain in the series because they continue to provide historical context and perspective. In some cases, studies on successor states are also part of the series.

Intended for a general audience, the books in the series present a comprehensive description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of select countries throughout the world. Each book was written by a multidisciplinary team of social scientists, who sought to adhere to accepted standards of scholarly objectivity. The books represent the analysis of the authors and should not be construed as an expression of an official U.S. government position, policy, or decision.

With the exception of some photographs, clearly marked in photograph captions, the contents of the Country Studies are not copyrighted, and permission is not required to use them. Nor is permission required to link to the online studies. However, those desiring specific written permission for the record may direct queries via email to frds@loc.gov. Permission for further use of copyrighted photographs must be obtained directly from the copyright owner(s).